The Boy in the Treehouse
by SunbakedGeoduck
Summary: When Jax Aldrin and her friend Melody find Tobias Eaton, battered, bruised and hiding in Amity, in Jax's treehouse, Jax's life is changed forever. After a tragedy forces her to make an impossible decision, she must abandon everything she knows and commit herself to a life of danger and adventure. Can Four and a certain other Dauntless leader help her survive her new world? ERIC/OC
1. Chapter 1

"_**95!**_"

"_Hurry!_" Melody hisses behind me. Her fingers, small and slicked with sweat, wriggle in my grip, and she breathes harshly, in short shallow gasps. The trees are finally beginning to thin out, the sharp tang of rotting apples falling behind us, and I can see the jagged outline of the fence from here.

"_**96!**_"

It appears then, suddenly, as if it had only just that second sprouted into being: a monstrous oak tree, easily three times the size of the trees in the orchard, sitting right at the edge of the fence. It has a hundred branches, sprouting of its great big head in every direction – some of them are as thin as my arm, spindly and snake-like, and some of them are as thick as a grown man, some even bigger than that, some as big as a cow or a horse. Some are even as big as my dad.

I give Melody's arm an impatient tug, trying to speed her up. She's not as fast as me – none of the other kids are – and she starts to stagger, her fingers slipping straight out of my fist. I stumble to a halt and whirl around. I catch a brief glimmer of something in the trees, something big and shiny, and then I can see the rest of Summer Mason's face staring back at me, her big blue eyes blinking owlishly at me behind her super sized glasses. I give Melody's arm another tug.

"_**97!**_"

"_Come __**on**_!" I whisper with another tug, trying to yank her to her feet. She's breathing hard, a hint of a wheeze in her voice, and I immediately feel guilty; I drop to the floor next to her and put both of my hands on her cheeks, lifting her face to mine. Her skin is both hot and cold at the same time, the way it gets when you've been running for a long time, and her eyes are shining. She has a weak grin on her face.

She brushes my hands off immediately, grabbing onto my shoulder for support as she pushes herself up uneasily. She jerks her head in the direction of our tree wordlessly, breathing so hard I'm sure she'll collapse as soon as take a step, but she doesn't; she carries on, though at a slower pace now, and I jog after her cautiously, guiltily. I always forget just how _small _Melody is, even for a thirteen year old – she looks about half her age, her tiny little body so small my father could probably carry her comfortably around in his pocket all day long.

"_**98!**_"

My heart leaps at Travis' voice and I jog past Melody towards our tree. The orchard disappears behind us, suddenly making the world feel a lot bigger. A Dauntless guard watches as I run, but I can't see who it is in the darkness; I raise my hand anyway, turning my hand around so that my palm is facing outwards, touching my forefinger and middle finger to the side of my head in greeting. I hear a low chuckle, deep, a man's laugh, and then he copies me, giving me a salute and a nod back. Some of the others are scared of the Dauntless – their slick black clothes and their decorated bodies and their _natural tendency towards stupidity,_ as my father would say – but I don't mind them.

I turn back to the tree, feeling blindly around in the darkness until I find the holes, carved out by my dad a long long time ago. "_Mel!_" I hiss.

"_**99!**_"

She jogs to my side, her breathing a little more even now, and gently pushes me aside. I let her, watching her slow ascent to the tree house; when I can no longer see the wisps of her yellow dress, I begin my climb upwards, slowly, carefully. I've climbed this tree a thousand times before, a million even, I know its every curve and twist, but it can still surprise you. I almost fell out of it once, one of the first times my dad ever took me up there, and, for one unending moment, it felt like I was looking over the side of a cliff, like the fall would never end and I would spend the rest of time falling towards the Amity orchard floor. That one moment was enough for me: I would never let it happen again.

After a moment, I see a flicker of light, a small candle burning. A second later, I can see the smooth polished wood of the tree house, nestled snugly against the silky old tree trunk. A dozen branches curl protectively around the opening to the house, covered in dozens of burnt orange leaves. I reach up and grab the closest branch, the leaves giving a satisfying crunch beneath my fingers, and I haul myself upwards, grabbing the tree house floor. I give one final push, throwing myself into the tree house with a loud grunt, sprawling myself over the floor. It's warmer up here, the wood warmed nicely by the little candle, and I immediately feel better. I always do when I'm up here.

"Jax," Melody whispers. I glance over at her, startled by the fear in her voice; she's pressed herself as far against the tree house wall as she can, holding the candle in its little metal dish, the flame quivering wildly. Her eyes are as wide as saucers. She's looking over into the corner of the room, at something behind me.

I roll over quickly, heart pounding.

A small pair of unusual blue eyes stares back.

It's a boy. _There is a boy in my tree house_.

"_**100! Ready or not, here I come**_!"


	2. Chapter 2

He is not Amity, I know that immediately: the colour he wears is a dull grey colour, long and plain and boring. He doesn't wear a speck of colour, like he's come straight from one of those black and white picture books they make us read at school. His hair is short and light brown, and his skin is lightly tanned, with just a hint of a golden sheen. And his eyes, his eyes are so strange: they are dark blue, but they thrash and tremble like a stormy sea. His lips tremble as he looks from Melody to me, switching between us so quickly it's dizzying. I realise he's waiting for one of us to do something, to say something, but I can't think of a single thing to say. Melody looks just as stumped: her little pink mouth flutters open and closed, and her big blue eyes blink so quickly it's almost comical.

Outside, I can hear squeals and outraged laughter as Travis quickly finds the others. I am confident they'll never find us here. They never do.

I swallow nervously, and the sound is so loud the boy's eyes snap back to me, widening just a little. His fists are clenched in his simple grey shirt, balled up so tightly they have turned white. He looks so_ scared_.

It is only then that I notice that his t-shirt has ridden up, exposing a scrawny tanned stomach decorated with blue and black bruises and angry red welts. A pit opens up in my stomach so vast that I feel like I'm about to swallow myself up.

His shirt drops, hiding his bruises, and I look back up at his face. He has seen me see him.

"Are you alright?" Everybody jumps at the sound of my voice, including me. Melody turns to gawp at me as though I have suddenly just grown a second head. The boy eyes me warily, his own eyes swimming. I clear my throat softly, and I try again. "Are you alright? You don't look alright."

His eyes drop to his stomach and then back up to me so quickly I almost miss it. He has a cold look in his eyes now, so cold it almost takes my breath away. He looks _hateful_.

He sniffs and clears his throat, wiping away tears I hadn't noticed on his cheeks. His little face shines. "You can't tell anyone," he growls, so viciously that Melody lets out a low whimper, clutching the candle tighter to her chest. He doesn't notice, though; he stares at my face so intensely it almost hurts.

"Can't tell anyone what?" I ask. My voice is hoarse, my throat painfully dry. Outside, somebody lets out a delighted squeal.

"You can't tell anybody I was here," he snaps.

"Why?" I ask, and then realise my mistake. He's Abnegation and he's in the Amity zone after dark. Big no-no. "Oh. Sorry." His dark eyes watch me coolly. It's a little unnerving. "Why are you here, though?" The question escapes me before I can stop myself and I immediately regret it. I've never seen anyone look quite so murderous before.

I try a different track. "What's your name?" Still nothing. The silence is painful now, so painful I want to scream. "This is Melody," I gabble, desperately trying to fill the quiet with something. Her head jerks at the sound of her name and she shoots me a hysterical look. "And my name's Jax. Jax Aldrin."

The boy's nose wrinkles slightly and I think I see a ghost of a smile on his full lips. "'Jax'? That's not a very Amity name." I decide I like his voice. Quiet and careful, like he's put a lot of thought into every word.

I groan and roll my eyes theatrically, smiling a little myself. "I don't exactly have the most _Amity _dad. Right?" I say, turning to Melody. She's grinning too, covering her mouth with a dainty hand. Her wavy blonde hair looks golden in the candle light. She opens her mouth to say something and then, after a quick glance at the boy, promptly shuts it again. She bobs her head up and down rapidly.

He looks at her curiously, and then back at me. "Can she talk?"

"Usually, it's hard getting her to stop."

"Hey!" she giggles before she can stop herself, and I grin back at her; when I turn back to the boy, his expression is strange, like something is caught in the back of his throat. "Would you like something to eat?" Melody offers quietly, distracting him: when he turns to look at her, she flushes scarlet, every inch of her pale face lit up red. "W-we have… um, we-we have l-lots of…" she trails off, staring down at the candle in her hands. She looks at me desperately and I have to smother the grin on my face. "I think we've got some apple pie running around somewhere," I say, glancing around. There is little furniture in here and what little there is was made by my parents, before I was even a twinkle in my father's eye, as he likes to say: there are three blankets, big and fluffy and bright, vivid red and apple green and sunflower yellow. There's a small bookcase, perhaps only as high as my knee, holding four of my mother's favourite books; and there's a small hole in the floor, protected by a little wooden door with a big wooden handle, right next to where the boy is sitting. I gesture at it. "If you open that up, there should be some pie in there." I watch him open up the door cautiously, nervously, as if something could come flying out at him, which of course it doesn't. His face lights up and he pulls the pie out, examining it with awe. Melody and I exchange curious glances. Abnegation are weird.

"Haven't you ever had apple pie before?" I ask, and he shakes quietly. "Never?!" Melody gasps and his cheeks flush. I'm baffled: a world without apple pie is unimaginable to me.

"It's real good," Melody says shyly, her cheeks aflame again. "Melody's mom is an apple pie genius," I add, and she shoots me a grateful look.

The boy frowns at the pie for a few more minutes and then puts it down. He looks troubled. "I… I can't eat this. I'm sorry," he says, putting the pie back so hastily you'd think it was poisonous.

"Why not?" Melody asks, appalled. Nobody ever turns down Autumn Bell's apple pie. It's unheard of.

"I… it's… it's _indulgent_," he says in a horrified whisper, staring at us as if we are mad. When neither of us react, his frown deepens. "Abnegation don't… don't _indulge _like this, i-it's _wrong_. And it's _yours_. I, I can't take something from you."

Melody's shaking her head with quiet horror, but a smile crosses my lips. "But you're not in Abnegation." Both of them turn to stare at me. "Well. Not right now, anyway. This is Amity, and turning down Autumn Bell's apple pie is a grave offence." Melody nods along, deadly serious. I imagine there's no greater crime in her eyes.

"But…" he offers one more protest, but the looks on our faces shut him down immediately. He picks up the pie again and, after a nervous glance at us, takes a bite. A soft moan escapes his lips and he jumps a little at the sound. He looks at us and I can't help the grin that crosses my face. "It's good, right?"

He doesn't stop to respond – he devours the pie in astonishing time, barely even spilling any crumbs. When he's finished, he sits quietly, eyes closed, licking his lips. I am tempted to speak, but it would be wrong, wrong to interrupt this moment. He looks so at peace, so blissful that it makes me relaxed just to watch him.

His eyes open after a minute or so, and the blue is different now, no longer as wild as it was before. He looks calmed.

"Thank you," he says, his voice quiet. The emotion in his voice robs me of the ability to speak. "I… I…"

"No problem at all," I say just as quietly. When he looks at me, I smile.

"_**JAX! MELODY!**_"

We all jump at the sound. Melody looks at me in a panic. "It's Travis."

"_**WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!**_"

"We better go," I say urgently. The thought of the boy being discovered makes me feel sick, sick to my soul. I move towards the mouth of the tree house and then I stop. I turn back to the boy. "You can stay here if you want to? Nobody else comes up here: it's our tree." Melody nods fiercely along with my words. We know nobody else would dare invade what's ours. "We'll get Melody's mom to make you some more pie too, and my dad makes great iced tea, if you don't mind it being all sugary."

"I've never really tried… sugary stuff before," he says uncertainly.

"Well, you will soon," I say firmly.

"_**JAX?!**_"

"We better go," Melody says, pushing at my shoulder. I hesitate. Something about leaving him up here, all alone, feels horribly wrong.

"You'll be alright, won't you?"

He nods silently, and I feel worse than before.

"_**JAX? COME ON NOW, GIRL**_."

My heart sinks. Dad's voice.

"Let's go," I say and Melody breathes a sigh of relief. "It was nice to meet you… um…" she says, blushing again as she stammers. She whirls around and begins the descent down the tree, the sound of her little feet scrabbling against the wood echoing around us. I dangle my legs over the edge too, waiting for my turn.

"Tobias."

I turn around slowly, curiously. He stares intensely back, the blue in his eyes seemingly lighter than before. "My name is Tobias."

I smile back, smiling until my face hurts. "It's very nice to meet you, Tobias."


	3. Chapter 3

One year later

I'm standing in front of my mother's mirror, watching her as she smoothes my long black hair into a braid. Except that isn't possible. She's been dead for six years.

"Your hair got so long, baby," she says in a low purr, a soft smile on her lips. She looks up from my hair and smiles at me, her warm amber eyes glowing in the early morning light. She wears her own hair loose, like a waterfall of inky black cascading down her back. The dress she wears is long and flowing and pale yellow; against the darkness of her skin, it shines like the sun.

I want to talk to her. I want to talk to her so badly. I want to tell her about everything she's missed in the last six years – I want to tell her about Melody, about Tobias and the tree house. I want her to laugh when I tell her about how fat Dad is now, and how he almost killed Mara Blossom's cat with his iced tea, and how it's too sugary but that's why it's so good, so sugary you can feel it soaking into your teeth but that's okay. And I want her to know how much I missed her, how the house has felt so empty without her and how I sometimes catch Dad staring up at the tree house with tears in his eyes and how he still loves her more than anything in the whole world.

But, I can't. My mouth won't move, no matter how hard I try. I can do nothing but watch her braid my hair and smile to herself, smiling so wide her teeth gleam against her dark skin like the sun breaking through the clouds.

I don't know how long she takes, brushing and braiding my hair, but eventually she stops, her fingertips gently brushing the back of my neck one last time before her hands rest on my shoulders. Her hands are warm, like they were whenever she'd spend a day baking, letting me rip off chunks of bread, golden and fluffy and delicious. I watch as she leans down. "You look so beautiful, baby," she says, and her lips brush against the top of my head.

"_**JAX!**_"

My eyes fly open and I am in bed, staring at the ceiling. My dad looms over my bed, his great big face smiling down at me.

"Do you have to shout when you're right there?"

He grins ever wider. "How else am I supposed to wake you up?"

"Touché."

"Come on," he says, jerking his head towards my bedroom door. "Breakfast."

"Did you make pancakes?"

"You know it."

"You're the best dad ever."

"I know it."

I throw off the covers and shimmy my legs off the bed. The sun is up early today, streaming through my thin lace curtains, and I feel good. Today is going to be a good day, because today is a Tobias day. I can feel the smile spreading across my face just at the thought of seeing him again.

"Somebody's happy today," Dad notes with a cheeky grin. I roll my eyes at him, running a brush through my hair. I'm thankful I inherited my mom's sleek and straight jet black hair instead of my dad's hectic brown curls. "What can I say, pancakes make me happy."

He leaves me to change and I throw on a short red dress that glows against my light brown skin. We eat quietly together, listening to the sounds of the world waking up. Inevitably, Dad finishes before I do, his plate clean and glistening before I've even started on my second pancake, and he sets about making iced tea, humming as he does so. He's very peaceful to be around, my dad. And there's something different about him this morning – the long, knotted beard he's sported for the last few months has disappeared, leaving only a shadow of dark grey on his broad jaw. His long salt-and-pepper hair is tied up in a low ponytail and a pair of half-moon glasses perches on the end of his long nose.

"I like you better without your beard."

He turns around, one eyebrow raised, and smiles wider, his brown eyes crinkling at the edges. "Thanks, Jaxy. I like you better without yours too."

"I dunno, I'm thinking of bringing it back."

"Jax!" The front door bursts open then, and Melody flies into the kitchen, her eyes wild. She settles on me first, offering me an excited grin full of crooked white teeth, and then she notices my dad. "Mr Aldrin!"

"Little Miss," he nods, grinning as she scowls at the old nickname; everybody calls her that, even some of the teachers at school. He steps away from the counter to give her a tight hug, laughing when she squirms – everybody in Amity is a hugger except for Melody. "How are you? I haven't seen you in eight hours, I was beginning to worry."

Melody laughs, her cheeks flushing. "I'm good, thanks Mr Aldrin. How are you?"

"I'm very well, thank you, Little Miss. How's the family?"

"Everyone's great," she says unconvincingly. After a moment's hesitation, she adds "Milo's got a girlfriend now."

My head shoots up. This is news. "Who?!"

Melody flushes again, running a hand through her crop of blonde hair. It's lighter than ever now, since she started helping her mom in the orchard. "Summer Mason." She says the name almost reluctantly, her face twisting unpleasantly as she speaks. It's no secret around Amity that Melody despises Summer.

My eyebrows fly up and I almost drop the piece of pancake I've been chewing on. I swallow hurriedly. "You're serious."

"As the plague," she says, rolling her eyes.

"You must be so happy for them."

"She visits our house constantly now," she adds brightly. I stifle the urge to laugh, finishing the last of my breakfast in two huge bites, pushing away from the table before I've even finished chewing. "Save me some of that tea, Dad," I say as I kiss his cheek and follow Melody out of the house. "_I make no promises_!" he calls as the door swings shut and we step outside. It's warm, warmer than it should be for this time of year, and everybody's up early to enjoy the day. There's soft banjo music playing from somewhere and soft singing accompanies it. If we weren't meeting Tobias today, I'd join them. I love to sing.

"So… Summer Mason, huh?"

"Drop it," she snaps and storms onwards, ignoring all the cheery greetings people throw her way. At least twice I see someone turn to hug her and she brushes them off rudely, leaving a trail of hurt looking faces in her wake. She's so sensitive when it comes to Milo: he's her twin brother and they were attached to the hip until we started school. I haven't seen him in a while: I guess I know why now.

We make our way to the outskirts of Amity, picking at random apples as we go, running before the pickers catch us. Three Dauntless guards patrol the top of the fence, and I recognise the tallest with ease.

"_**Hey, Shepherd!**_"

He glances down and I touch my forefinger and middle finger to my temple; he laughs and copies my movement, moving to the edge of the walkway and dangling his legs over the edge. "How you doing, Jaxy?"

"It's all good down here, Shep. How's the world looking?"

He looks outwards, onto the world outside Amity. "Gray."

"And you?"

He shrugs. "Can't complain. Ain't it time for you to join up yet?"

I grin widely. _Every time_. "Whatever happened to you joining Amity, Shep?"

One of the guards next to Shep chuckles. "Sweetie, you haven't heard him sing."

Shep glares over his shoulder. "Go screw yourself, Maddox." The guard Maddox chuckles, and I grin uncomfortably. They talk to each other like this all the time, but I never get used to it; it doesn't sound cruel, but their words are so _harsh_, I don't know how to react to them.

"I'm out, Shep, see you later!" I call, turning back to the tree. Melody's already half way up, her short yellow dress fluttering gently in the breeze. I start up after her, conscious of how short my own dress is, hoping against hope that Shepherd isn't still looking. I hear a gasp above me and I grin to myself. Tobias must already be here.

I pull myself inside the tree house and I see Tobias and my heart drops.

He is covered head to toe in blood.


	4. Chapter 4

"Tobias?" My voice doesn't sound like my own: I can barely hear it over the pounding of my heart. _I've never seen so much blood before_. Before I can stop myself, I'm by his side, pressing my hands against his face. His skin is as white as bone. "Tobias, what happened to you?!" He doesn't answer me, but his eyes are steady. His breath is rattling in his chest and there are so many welts and scratches and bruises on his chest I lose count, but his dark blue eyes are still, intelligent and aware. It makes me feel a fraction better, but only a fraction. "Melody, go get some water and some clean clothes." I reach down and begin to rip up my dress, frantically wiping at the blood with the scraps, Tobias' eyes on me the whole time. Melody still hasn't moved. "_**MELODY, MOVE**_." She scrambles up and over the side of the tree house, and I can hear her kicking the tree the entire way down.

"He ju… just didn't stop."

I turn back to Tobias, trying to keep my eyes on his face and not on the horror that had been inflicted on his body. His voice is weak, but there is a fire in his eyes. I shake my head, trying to swallow. I want to speak, to comfort him, but I don't trust my voice.

"How bad is it?" he croaks, struggling to sit up. I put a hand on his shoulder and gently force him down, shaking my head. _I will kill him for this. I will march straight into Abnegation and I will beat him like he beats his son. _"Jax?"

"I just…" I begin to say, but my voice fails me. I have never been this angry in my whole life. I let out a deep unsteady breath and rip another piece of fabric off of my dress. "I'll kill him for this. I'll _kill him_," I hiss, and I slam my free hand into the wall of the tree house.

I immediately regret that decision.

I bring my fist to my mouth, blocking the howl of anguish and pain and anger that is building in my throat, building up and up and up until I feel like I'm about to explode.

Tobias watches me patiently; amazingly, the corner of his mouth twitches and I see the beginnings of a smile cross his lips.

"Tobias Eaton, tell me you are not laughing at me."

"I am definitely laughing at you."

"This is one-hundred percent not funny."

"_That _was pretty funny, is your hand okay?"

I glare down at him. "My hand is not the issue here."

"You could've gotten a splinter or something; do you want me to check?" He lifts his hands up towards mine, and I slap them back down, trying and failing not to smile.

My smile quickly disappears as I look at his body again.

"Tobias, you can't go back there."

He doesn't say anything in response. I look back at his face and his expression is unreadable. My stomach clenches. "Tobias, you _can't._ Not after this."

"I have no choice."

"You _always have a choice_," I hiss, appalled. _He can't go back. I won't let him_. "Tobias, he's going to kill you sooner or later, you cannot go back to him."

"What else can I do? Become one of the Factionless?" he shudders. That is a fate no man should choose for himself.

"You could tell someone!"

"I can't."

"_Yes you c-"_

"_No, I __**can't**_." His tone startles me then: he sounds older, much older than his fifteen years. "Jax… things with Erudite… they aren't _good, _right now."

I stare at him. "So?"

"So, Erudite are just _looking_ for reasons to discredit Abnegation and… this is _just _what they-"

"_So. What_."

Tobias blinks, confused. "I don't-"

"I don't _care _about Abnegation or Erudite or _any of that,_ Tobias, I care about _you_, you aren't safe there, you can't go back!"

"You're going back?"

We both jump at the sound of Melody's voice: neither of us had heard her climbing back up. She has a bag stuffed with bottles of water and bundles of yellow clothes and the look on her face is the worst thing I have ever seen.

"Mel-" Tobias starts, but she silences him with a look.

"No. _No, Tobias, _you aren't going back there."

Tobias looks back at me and I give him my best stern look.

After a long time, he sighs and my heart drops all over again.

"Guys… I have to."

"You mean that?" I wince at the sound of Melody's voice. It is as cold as death. Tobias swallows and nods. "This is your final decision?"

"I only have one more year," he says slowly. "_One__ – more – year_, guys. And then I'm free. I can get out, and I don't have to become Factionless or mess things up for Abnegation, everything'll be-"

Melody slams the bag of bottles down on the floor and I jump again. Her face is like thunder. Without a word, she turns around and begins climbing down the ladder, kicking the tree trunk so hard it trembles slightly.

Tobias sighs. "It's the only way."

I can't look at him. I feel so angry my hands are shaking.

"You're not going to leave too, are you?"

I shake my head, feeling tears burn at my eyes. I have never felt so helpless in my life.

"Jax?"

"Tobias," I sigh, hating the tremble in my voice. "Please don't ask me to be okay with this."

He sighs. "I'm not. I… I just need you to be here."

"Well, I need _you _to be here." And then an idea hits me. "Stay here."

He raises an eyebrow. "What?"

I grasp his arm. "Stay here. In the tree house, or with me and my dad. Anywhere but with him, _please_."

He stares at me for the longest time, and I allow myself to hope.

"I can't."

I feel empty.

"Jax, I would if I could, but…" His jaw clenches. "I can't become Factionless. I can't. And I _won't._ Not when I'm so close to being free of him."

I nod numbly.

"Jax?"

I twitch and pick up the bottles Melody left. "Stay still, I need to clean you up."

"Jax, I'm… I'm sor-"

I shake my head and give his hand a quick squeeze. I can't think of anything else to say.


End file.
